The WWE is an opinion based business. Superstars will rise and fall sometimes purely based on fan opinion. Because of this, every fan will have a slightly different opinion of each Superstar. While some wrestlers are undeniably popular with everyone such as Daniel Bryan and Steve Austin, and while most fans would agree that Jim Ross was the greatest commentator of our time, many would agree that Booker T was just odd on the announce team. Some fans will even swear that Ryback and Curtis Axel are considered some of the greatest Superstars of our generation. Of course every fan is entitled to their own opinion, but some of these opinions are definitely in the minority.
Sometimes fans can turn on a Superstar and you can sympathize with them. When Rocky Maivia first entered the WWE, fans turned on his boring babyface persona and when The New Day debuted, fans almost instantly turned them unofficially into heels due to their extremely irritating "power of positivity" gimmick. The same goes with General Managers, as fans eventually turned on Teddy Long for his insistence on making the main event of SmackDown a Tag Team match between whoever was feuding at the time. And you could feel that this was justified. It does feel that sometimes, the fans will turn on a Superstar or a person in the WWE for almost reason at all. Many fans have unfairly turned on people within the WWE and here are the top 15.
15 15. Byron Saxton
Byron Saxton is often criticized as the silent man on the Raw announce team. This is a fair criticism as he could definitely speak up a little more when on that panel. However, when he is speaking, as long as he isn't saying word for word what Vince and co. are telling him to say, he genuinely has some interesting insight on the ongoing wrestling match and conversation. The problem with Byron Saxton is that he doesn't really suit the three man set up that the WWE uses and would cope better in a two man environment, possibly with someone like Mauro Ranallo, where he would be allowed more of a chance to talk and express himself. It also doesn't help that JBL is constantly shutting him down whenever he tries to make any relevant point. Whether this is Vince's idea, or just JBL's own doing, someone in the office must realize by now that this is not helping Byron Saxton.
14 14. The Usos
It feels like the WWE aren't trying their best to make The Usos a popular tag team. First by keeping them with the exact same gimmick for years and second by aligning them with their currently unpopular cousin Roman Reigns, in a case where they are guilty by association more than anything else. While it is true that The Usos lack a true personality and character, it is easy to get past this due to the solid in ring work that they display in their matches. If the WWE was to let them have their own personality that didn't revolve around them saying the word 'Uce,' then the Slammy winners could easily become the top tag team in the division. Instead, for now, try and focus more on their solid work in the ring than their lack of character.
13 13. Batista
When Batista made his return in 2014, it was very much a case of wrong place, wrong time. While many fans were excited for the return of The Animal, things soured when he won the Royal Rumble and was scheduled to face Randy Orton in the main event of WrestleMania XXX. Most years, that match wouldn't have suffered the fan backlash that it did, but this was unquestionably the year of Daniel Bryan and fans turned on Batista in an unbelievable way. While it was understandable due to Daniel Bryan obviously being the man of the moment, a lot of the criticism that Batista faced was too harsh. Upon first inspection, it would appear that Batista was only in this position due to his physique, but he is strong enough on the microphone, has a great move-set for a big man, and was only getting criticism for who he wasn't.
12 12. Kane
Kane, like someone else who appears on this list, is guilty of slightly over staying his welcome in WWE. When he first debuted, Kane was a terrifying giant of a man that terrorized the WWE for ages, but as time has gone on, Kane has been overexposed and handed some very bad angles. Nevertheless, Kane has made the best of these angles, and even managed to have some entertaining moments with his 'Corperate Kane' segments.
Despite having a relatively basic move set, he manages to have a lot of great matches, and has even had mildly watchable matches with wrestlers such as The Great Khali. He has also been one of the most underrated talkers in the business for some time and the reason that he gets criticized nowadays is because he has been around for so long. Once he retires, people will appreciate the legend that is Kane.
11 11. Big Show
The story of the Big Show is one that is very similar to the story of Kane: a great giant when he first entered the scene, but a giant who has long since suffered from being around too long and not having anything fresh recently. Like Kane, Big Show has a very basic move set and can cut a good promo (when he isn't crying). Big Show has been involved in some surprisingly great matches, such as the WrestleMania XXV Triple Threat for the World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena and Edge.
Big Show has also been the victim of far too many face and heel turns, causing people to lose interest in the events. What Big Show does incredibly well, which people seem to forget, is make other Superstars look strong, as a match against Big Show can really help elevate a young, up and coming babyface.
10 10. Brock Lesnar
The Beast Incarnate...Brock Lesnar is a guy who went out and said that he only wrestles for the money, saying he 'clocks in and clocks out' and that he isn't actually a fan of the wrestling business. Quotes like these will obviously draw criticism from WWE fans, and while most of this criticism is justified, it is worth noting that a lot of people do their jobs just for money. Do you go to your job for the love of the business? Not many can say that they do.
The main aspects of the wrestling business that he dislikes are the constant travelling and being away from loved ones, which is fair enough, as Brock Lesnar is a very family orientated man. He is the biggest draw in WWE today, so it is understandable that he would want a paycheck that would reflect that, as he puts on highly entertaining matches that have a real 'big fight' feel.
9 9. Nikki Bella
Nikki Bella was the epitome of the Divas division before the 'Divas Revolution' happened and, because of this, people have looked back on her reign as champion with a lot of disdain. While there were obviously some bad parts to her time as a champion, like winning too many matches with Twin Magic, there was a lot to like about Nikki Bella. She's been involved in some great feuds and matches, and was the champion at the time when everyone pushed for more screen-time for the women in WWE. She holds the record for longest Divas Championship reign at 301 days and, while this reign may have dragged on a little at the end, WWE needed the get rid of the legacy of A.J. Lee, who was the previous record holder, due to her association with CM Punk. Nikki Bella has proved that she can hang with the best.
8 8. CM Punk
In some ways, CM Punk was a victim of his own success, as the main reason that fans have criticised him is because he left them. With many already feeling that he walked out on them, the fact that he is now contracted to UFC does not help matters. A lot of the frustration towards CM Punk is really just because the fans miss him and while it is bad that he almost left out of the blue, once you listen to Colt Cobana's podcast, you can fully understand why CM Punk left WWE. He felt under-appreciated, even as champion, constantly given false promises by Vince McMahon, and he was not being paid what he thought he was owed for his main event performances. Aside from John Cena, CM Punk was the only guy in the locker room that would ask questions and he was always looking out for the boys. Not only this, but CM Punk was one of the best wrestlers of the last ten years in WWE and fans shouldn't be angry that he left, but should be grateful he was there.
7 7. The Rock
Much of The Rock's criticism from fans has come since his return to the WWE in 2011, where he resumed his role in the company, but as a part time performer. When he first returned in 2011, and embarked on his 'Once in a Lifetime' feud with John Cena, originally fans had no issue with The Rock, as he was there pretty much every week. However, as time went on, The Rock was there less and less, and fans began to question his loyalty. This only got worse when he returned to take the WWE Championship away from CM Punk. What must be remembered about The Rock, however, is that he was a top star in the era that kept WWE alive and he is now a Hollywood megastar, which brings lots of eyes to WWE. He is the best talker in WWE histor, and is a surprisingly a good technical wrestler. For all that he has done for the company, surely he can take it easy when he returns, right?
6 6. Michael Cole
Michael Cole's problem is a very similar problem to the problem that Byron Saxton has, as it is hard to tell if Cole is just generally a bad commentator or if Vince is just screaming into his ears and telling him what to say. Michael Cole gets a lot of heat for not focusing on the action that is happening right in front of him, but when it is considered that Cole is tasked with promoting all the up coming WWE events, and trying to further storylines, all while being a play by play commentator, he does a better job than many give him credit for. Despite receiving a lot of criticism from fans for his announcing work, many ex-WWE workers have given him praise, such as Stone Cold and, more importantly, Jim Ross, saying that Michael Cole is 'more than a play by play' which shows that people in the know value Michael Cole.
5 5. Triple H
Ah, the man with the golden shovel. Many past and present Superstars in the WWE believe that Triple H has buried their momentum, as well as former writers saying that Triple H has stopped Superstars from rising to the top. While it is true that Triple H did put a dent in CM Punk's momentum, many of the complaints about him burying Superstars simply aren't true. Goldberg has always been overrated and only rose to the top because he was gifted it by WCW. People like Rob Van Dam are obviously good performers but lack that special something that is needed to be the top WWE Superstar. Triple H is best when he is the champion and is untouchable, so obviously he needs to be at the top and can't be losing to people all the time, otherwise he would look weak. Many Triple H supporters have come out and said that he doesn't bury talent, and when people like Ric Flair say this, you know he's probably right.
He has always been a very underrated technical wrestler, even more so than The Rock, and before his injury, he was arguably the top wrestler in the business. Say what you want about him, but when you picture Triple H, he is always at the top and he's always with a championship. It's also worth noting that he has put over Superstars such as Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, and John Cena.
4 4. Roman Reigns
He's not a bad guy, he's not a good guy, he's the guy. Without trying to be, Roman Reigns is the biggest heel in the WWE today, because the fans absolutely hate that he is the top guy at the moment. But be realistic, what was Roman Reigns going to do? Say no to this push? Despite the whole WWE Universe being against him, Roman Reigns is actually doing quite well. He's doing the best he can with the awful lines that he's being given and he has massively improved his in ring work. In fact, if you think of the best matches of 2016 so far in WWE, the chances are that many featured Roman Reigns. He managed to make a feud with Sheamus, of all people, interesting and managed to make Bray Wyatt relevant again last year. The problem for Reigns is that he's being booked badly and WWE are trying to portray him as an underdog hero that everyone can root for (see Bryan, Daniel). In reality he should be a no nonsense ass kicker that destroys everything in his path. When the creative team finally figure out how to use Roman Reigns, don't be surprised if he becomes one of the most popular guys in the WWE.
3 3. Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon gets a lot of criticism, considering that he is the man that made wrestling the worldwide phenomenon that it is today. Even if you had a passing interest in wrestling, without Vince McMahon, you would not be able to access it in the way that you can today. While it can be said that he does have a little bit of an obsession with the bigger guys, for the system that WWE uses, they do work well. WWE is all about drawing in the casual fans and banking on the fact that the hardcore fans will continue watching. If a casual fan was flicking through channels, they would be more likely to stop and watch if they see a giant of a man, in a 'clash of the titans' style match, than they would if it was two Cruiserweights wrestling.
This doesn't mean that he won't push the smaller guys. Daniel Bryan, Eddie Guerrero, and Shawn Michaels are three of the most successful wrestlers in WWE history despite being considered as smaller guys. The main problem that Vince McMahon has is that he is extremely stubborn and was famously quoted saying 'I'd rather make a dollar my way than a million dollars somebody else's way'. While this has got him into tricky situations in this past, normally this attitude sees him through. Once Vince McMahon takes a step back from WWE, people will begin to realize what a great visionary he was.
2 2. Hulk Hogan
A man who technically was never part of the WWE (according to them at least). If you are over the age of 35, the reason that you watched wrestling is because of this man. While he was never Daniel Bryan inside the ring, when he was promoting an upcoming match, no one could touch this man. He was the original white meat babyface, who had fans going crazy for whatever he did and he would be able to make a match against the local cat feel like the most must see match of all time. What Hulk Hogan comes under immense criticism for is because he wanted to stay in the spotlight for far too long and would refuse to let anyone be considered the man in the business. While it could be said that he did become a little stale towards the end of his babyface run, he did put over The Ultimate Warrior clean at WrestleMania VI, and Ultimate Warrior's championship run was lacklustre to say the least, which was probably the reason that Hogan was so reluctant to put over anyone else.
After his run in WWE came to end and he switched over to WCW, it was there that he completely changed the wrestling business again, turning heel and kick-starting the Monday Night War. Hulk Hogan may have over stayed his welcome a little bit, but the lasting legacy he created speaks for itself.
1 1. John Cena
Come on, you knew he'd be number one on this list. John Cena is the Superstar in WWE today and there is no denying that. John Cena comes under the same criticism that Hulk Hogan does, in the sense that he has overstayed his welcome and may have become stale. But despite never officially turning heel, John Cena still feels like a great character and manages to feel interesting in whatever he does. In terms of the criticism of his in ring abilities, John Cena has been involved in some of the greatest matches in WWE history, such as a stellar match against The Rock (the first time) and a string of great matches during the John Cena U.S. Open Challenge. His recent match with A.J. Styles was the definition of a dream match, despite the awful finish. Even when John Cena in not the champion, he still makes whatever he is involved in feel like the most important thing going on in WWE at the time. When he has the right motivation, he is untouchable on the microphone and his popularity with the kids is undeniable. You can say what you want about him, but deep down, you love John Cena.